Embodiments of the present invention relate to a light emitting diode (LED) bypass and control circuit for fault tolerant LED lighting systems.
Light emitting diode (LED) lighting systems are presently used for many applications such as automobiles, homes, businesses, and security systems. LED lighting systems to provide illumination more efficiently than incandescent lighting systems, since they expend much less power in heat generation and are much more reliable. LED lighting systems are also much more flexible than fluorescent lighting systems, since they are more tolerant to environmental conditions such as shock, contamination, and temperature. Moreover, they may be operated with controlled duty cycles to adjust brightness. LED lighting systems are often configured as series-connected LEDs due to their relatively small forward voltage. As such, the series connection or string of LEDs is susceptible to failure if any LED in the string fails open.
While preceding approaches have provided steady improvements in LED lighting systems, the present inventors recognize that still further improvements are possible. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments described below are directed toward improving upon the prior art.